His Lovable Klutz (Completed)

Segment Ten.

♥ I Must Be Mistaken♥

      Coby stood there, her eyes darting between Stefan and Tenzin, her mind racing as she tried to put the pieces together. If she could remember Stefan as the guy who got her fired from her last job, then it only made sense that Tenzin had to be the second guy at the restaurant that day.

      She squinted, her eyebrows furrowing deeply as she pointed a shaky finger at Stefan, then at Tenzin, then back to Stefan. Her hand slowly moved to her chin as she tapped it thoughtfully, still trying to connect the dots.

      Tenzin, noticing her intense scrutiny, broke the silence. "Do you know Stefan?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity.

      Stefan, on the other hand, wasn't as polite. He gave Coby a disdainful look. "Where on earth could someone like you have met me?" he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing at Coby as if trying to figure out how they could have possibly crossed paths.

      Coby snapped out of her thoughts just in time to hear Stefan's comment. She shook her head furiously, waving her hands as if to brush away the idea entirely.

      "Oh, no, no, no! I don't know either of you!" she lied, her voice a little too high-pitched to be convincing.

      She knew exactly who they were and that they were responsible for her losing her job, but she couldn't let them figure that out. If they knew who she was, they might refuse to hire her. And she desperately needed this job.

      Tenzin, though still puzzled by her strange behavior, decided to focus on the task at hand. "So, you said you were here for the interview?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

      Stefan wasn't having any of it. "The interview ended a long time ago," he said coldly, folding his arms across his chest. "And besides, you showed up late." He gave Coby a once-over, his lip curling in disdain. "Look at you. You're a mess. Coffee stains on your shirt, you're all sweaty, your hair's a disaster, and you look like you just ran a marathon! Who shows up for an interview looking like this? And do you even own an iron? Because it sure doesn't look like it!"

      Coby's face burned with embarrassment, but underneath it all, a simmering anger started to rise. She clenched her fists, trying to keep her cool as Stefan continued his tirade.

      "And another thing," Stefan went on, not noticing the growing storm behind Coby's eyes, "you clearly have no respect for punctuality. You're disorganized, you—"

      "Enough!" Coby suddenly shouted, her voice filled with fury. Stefan froze, his eyes widening in shock as Coby stormed up to him. She grabbed him by his tie, yanking his face close to hers. "Listen up, buddy," she hissed, her eyes blazing. "I just ran fifteen miles to get here, dressed up in this stupid uncomfortable outfit, with blisters the size of freaking golf balls on my ankles, and my feet are killing me! I'm not leaving this office until you give me this job, understand?"

      Stefan's face drained of all color, his eyes wide with terror as he nodded frantically, his mind blank with fear.

      "Why are you staring at me like that?" Stefan asked.

      Coby blinked, realizing she'd been lost in a vivid daydream. Stefan was still seated behind his desk, staring at her from a safe distance, while she stood frozen in place.

      Her hand dropped from her chin, and she let out a foolish, awkward laugh. "Oh, it's nothing," she said, trying to play it off.

      Stefan and Tenzin exchanged a look, both clearly unconvinced but not willing to press further.